A Different Kind of Mystery
by mckenzie274
Summary: House believes that Thirteen is pregnant, now it's just the matter of figuring out who the father is.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This is completely random, and just for fun. Tell me what you think? Also, for a disclaimer, I clearly do not own House.**

**A Different Kind of Mystery **

* * *

"Thirteen, you're pulling a Cuddy. Your breasts are trying to escape out of that top." House's eyes took in Thirteen's blue blouse under her lap coat with a grin on his face.

Thirteen glowered at her boss with enough force to kill any other man. "Whatever House. Lets just get back to work."

House regarded Thirteen with curiosity, because wearing a revealing top was out of character for her. Kutner walking in with a manila envelope in hand snapped House out of his speculations.

"Test results prove that it's lung cancer. No mystery here," Kutner said as he put the results down on the table for no one in particular.

Thirteen practically leaped at the chance to get away from House's calculating stares, and she reached for the envelope. "I'll take these down to Wilson. He'll want to see to his new patient."

Thirteen had nearly reached the door as House's eyes gleamed with what he thought was a revelation. "You're pregnant."

It wasn't a question, but a statement that left House's mouth. Thirteen gasped in surprise of the accusation. "I'm not pregnant. God you're such an ass."

House stood up and stared at her. His eyes took her sight in from her head to her toes just like an unwanted intruder. "Sign number one. Swollen breasts. Sign number two. Frequent urination. Sign..."

Thirteen cut House's checklist off in frustration. "Look it's called an underwire, and secondly, why are you monitoring my trips to the bathroom?"

House ignored Thirteen's rant and continued with the checklist. "Sign number three. Lower back pain."

"You can't even prove that." She snapped at him as she reached for the door.

"Actually I can. Today when you leaned in to listen to a patient's heart, I saw you rub your back once you were finished. Obviously, it's bothering you."

Thirteen narrowed her eyes as House continued with more signs. "And lastly, sign number four. Sensitivity to smell. And I know this because normally you sit next to Foreman, but today you sat next to Taub, because Foreman's cologne reeks of a spicy pine tree forest."

Thirteen let out a sigh as House finally came to a stop. "I'm leaving now." Then she exited to go find Wilson.

House then turned to the rest of his staff. At the table sat Foreman, Taub, and Kutner. "Now, only one mystery left. Who's the father?"

House began to eye each of his male fellows. "Not Taub. Too old and too married."

"I'm younger than you!" Taub crossed his arms over his chest in a show of annoyance.

Next he turned to watch Kutner. Kutner squirmed like an impatient kid under House's intent look. "Kutner. Doesn't have it in him."

"Hey!" Kutner barked as he took on an offended tone.

House paused for a moment, then began to stare at Foreman was a curious intensity. "Ding ding, we have a winner."

Foreman sat in silence wondering if he should patronize House's act, but finally his irritation got the better of him. "I didn't sleep with Thirteen. So stop staring at me. And my cologne does not smell like a pine tree forest."

"Whatever lets you sleep at night Foreman, but we all know it's true." House grabbed his cane and made his way to the door so that he could confront Thirteen with the knowledge that he had figured out who had fathered her child. He still wasn't absolutely positive so he looked forward to judging Thirteen's reactions, because they very well might surprise even House.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: This is completely random, and just for fun. Tell me what you think. Also, for a disclaimer, I clearly do not own House.**

**A Different Kind of Mystery **

**Chapter Two**

* * *

Thirteen was leaving Wilson's office as House caught up with her.

"I've figured it out. It's obviously Foreman." House said as he forced Thirteen to come to a stop when he stuck his cane in front of her.

Thirteen shook her head. "No. I'm not playing your weird game."

"What game? I already know." He said as his presumptuous grin grew wider.

"Ugh! I already told you, I'm not pregnant," she growled at him.

"Ah!" He said in a tone of new revelation. "We have two new signs. Sign number five. Mood swings."

"It's not a mood swing! I'm clearly agitated with you, because you're being obnoxious."

House ignored her again as he revealed another sign. "And sign number six. Your belly looks poochy in this lighting."

Astonished, Thirteen just frowned. "You're an ass." Thirteen moved House's cane and began to walk towards the clinic to finish her clinic hours.

House limped as he kept up with her pace. "You never denied that you hadn't slept with Foreman though."

She sighed. "My personal life is none of your business."

"Ah ha! That's not a denial! And it is my business when I have to hire a new fellow in nine months." He said as he cocked an eyebrow in Thirteen's direction, clearly trying to push a confession out of her.

"I didn't sleep with Foreman. Is that a good enough denial for you?"

House eyed Thirteen with suspicion. "It would be if I didn't think you were lying."

Thirteen shrugged in response to House's accusations. "You've said it yourself. You're wrong a lot of the time."

"Well tell me this, should I be looking to hire a new fellow in nine months?" He pushed.

"Perhaps...because I did hear that Taub got another job offer, though it could just be a rumor," Thirteen said as a half grin grew on her face.

"Oh you're a tricky one," House said in a voice that was rolling with pseudo innocence.

"Whatever House, I have work to do." Thirteen then quickened her pace as she made her way to the nurse's desk.

House then noticed Wilson walking towards the exit. "Wilson, have you heard that Thirteen is pregnant?"

Wilson's mouth opened in disbelief. "What? No. A baby? That's crazy, and she isn't even married."

"Well that's because no one loves marriage as much as you Wilson."

Wilson's opened mouth turned into a frown as he looked at his friend. "Hey! I resent that. But who's the father?"

"I think it's Foreman." House knew he had no evidence. He hardly ever saw Foreman and Thirteen interact at work, and certainly not outside of work.

"Really? Wow." Wilson's face looked to House, as if he had just discovered another sign to help solve the mystery. "Oh! But I did see her having coffee with Kutner at Starbucks like um... about two months ago."

"Now that's interesting..." House began to rub his chin in that calculating manner the bad guy in a movie might do when he is plotting something evil. "Are you doing anything right now?" He asked Wilson.

"No. Why?" Wilson asked in intrigue.

"Oh nothing really. We're just going to break into Thirteen's house." He eyes beamed with the thought of breaking and entering, but more so the fun it would bring him.

"Not this again!" Wilson said as he furrowed his brow.

"You drive the get away car, and I'll get the dark clothing," House joked with his friend, but he was all too serious about breaking into Thirteen's house.

Wilson paused for a moment to think if he should argue with his friend, but finally he gave up. "You are going to owe me House."

With Wilson's new clue about Kutner, House needed to find proof. House and Wilson then left the hospital to break into Thirteen's house to find clues about her child's father, while Thirteen naively worked in the clinic.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: This is completely random, and just for fun. Tell me what you think. Also, for a disclaimer, I clearly do not own House.**

**A Different Kind of Mystery **

**Chapter Three**

* * *

Wilson raddled the doorknob to Thirteen's apartment as House watched him with curiosity. "Well I guess we can't do this today. Looks like we can't get in."

"Stand aside Wilson. You're just making a fool out of yourself." House reached into his pocket and grabbed a set of keys.

Wilson's eyes grew in astonishment. "No, you didn't!"

A grin crawled onto House's face. "Oh yes I did."

Wilson's shock grew as House turned the key to her apartment. "Not only are we breaking and entering, but you stole her keys!"

"Don't get your panties in a twist Wilson. Thirteen has approximately three more hours of clinic duty. We just have to finish in time to return the keys to her locker before she notices they're even gone."

Wilson snapped to his friend as they walked through the doorway of Thirteen's apartment. "You take too much joy in this."

"This is strictly business Wilson." House said as they entered Thirteen's living room.

There was nothing unusual about Thirteen's apartment. Off white walls enclosed her living room decorated with modern furniture. House limped his way to her coffee table. Grabbing a handful of Thirteen's mail he made himself comfortable on her couch.

"You're not going to open those are you?" Wilson said as he watched House with a careful eye.

"Of course not. Now that's a felony."

Relief washed over Wilson's expression. "Oh, it's nice to know that you have some limits."

House ignored Wilson as he scanned through Thirteen's mail. "Bill. Bill. Another bill. Junk. Junk. Nothing interesting here. Lets go check the kitchen."

Wilson followed House to Thirteen's refrigerator. Both men peered inside, unsure of what to expect.

"Looks like an ordinary fridge to me," Wilson finally announced.

"That's where you are wrong. Look, two jars of pickles." House pointed to the pickle jars resting on the second shelf.

"So she likes pickles? That's not ground breaking information, House." Wilson walked away to glance around the rest of Thirteen's kitchen.

But House's tone revealed yet another sign. "Who needs two jars of pickles? No one, expect a pregnant woman with cravings."

Wilson decided not to argue with his friend and just shrugged off House's assumption. "Okay..."

"Bathroom now." House said as he was already heading down the hall in search of Thirteen's bathroom.

Wilson took in the entire bathroom with a passing glance. "Looks ordinary to me."

"Would you quit saying that and actually look for something." House began to look in the cabinet beneath the bathroom sink. "Look what we have here. An unopened box of tampons." House held a blue box in his hand as he grinned at Wilson.

"Wow! We have a real mystery on our hands." Wilson joked sarcastically.

House's grin turned to a scowl as his friend disregarded his evidence. "No, you idiot. It means that she doesn't need them because she's pregnant."

Wilson ignored House's name calling and continued to search Thirteen's bathroom. "Um... House. Look at this." He said as he held up Thirteen's trashcan.

House peered over to see the box of an opened pregnancy test. "Doubt me now?"

Wilson finally started to believe that House wasn't crazy after all. "She must have just found out,"

"Or she doesn't take out her trash very often. We have proof that she is pregnant, but no clues to who's the father. Lets go check out her bedroom."

"Er... okay," Wilson said in hesitation.

Wilson and House exited the bathroom, and entered the only door in the hall left. House practically flew to Thirteen's dresser.

"Oh very nice. A black thong." House held up the undergarment to show Wilson who clearly felt uncomfortable in Thirteen's bedroom.

"House, don't you think that's invading her privacy?"

House smiled widely. "Nice to know that you have limits..." House suddenly paused as he heard what sounded like the front door opening. "Did you hear that?"

"Yeah," Wilson said on a whisper.

"Shit, someone's in here," House bit out.

Panic over took Wilson as he looked frantically for a way out. But the only exit was through the front door. "Oh God! What are we going to do? We are so going to jail!"

House looked at Wilson like he was a melodramatic child. "Calm down and shut up. I'm going to peek and see who it is." House opened a small crack from inside Thirteen's bedroom door. "It's Taub."

Wilson was stunned momentarily as he tried to find his words. "Wh... What's he doing here?"

"I don't know. But he obviously didn't break in like us. He must have keys or know where she keeps her spare key at least," House said in a rushed whisper.

Wilson pondered quietly to himself. "Taub? This is getting strange."

House started relaying Taub's movements to Wilson in a soft murmur. "He's picking up a book from the coffee table." House paused as he tried to figure out what Taub was doing next. "Now he's leaving her some money."

"I wonder what the money is for," Wilson mused.

"Sexual favors?" House said as he turned to look at Wilson and shrug, then he quickly turned back to the scene in the living room.

"Very mature House." Wilson said as he forgot about his panic for a moment.

"He's leaving now." House waited until Taub had closed the front door before leaving the bedroom.

"Oh good. I think we should too." Wilson said as a wave of relief washed over him.

"Fine. Let's go." House and Wilson walked through the living room, but not before House quickly walked over to the coffee table again.

"Thirty bucks. Don't mind if I do."

Wilson crossed his arms in outrage. "House! Stealing money from her now! Don't you have any morals?"

House continued to make his way towards the front door. "Not really. Now lets go antagonize Thirteen about this Taub thing."

"You can do that, but I'm going home before you force me to break any more laws with you."

Wilson locked Thirteen's door once again being thankful to be out of harms way. Before heading home, Wilson drove House back to the hospital so House could fulfill his wicked plan to provoke Thirteen.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: This is completely random, and just for fun. Tell me what you think. Also, for a disclaimer, I clearly do not own House.**

**A Different Kind of Mystery **

**Chapter Four**

* * *

Thirteen had just finished examining a patient as House barged through the door of the exam room.

Thirteen looked up from a patient's chart and glared at House then went back to writing on the chart. "What do you want now?"

House grinned widely as he spoke. "Oh nothing really. So... what's going on with you and Taub? He's a bit old isn't he?"

"And you aren't?" Thirteen looked up again with a half smirk.

"Answering a question with a question. Very endearing, but not an actual answer. So it is true. You and him?" House's eyebrow rose in intrigue.

"Taub? As in the Taub we work with? What would ever possess you to think that I would ever sleep with him? That's insane. I don't care how drunk I was, it still wouldn't happen." Thirteen said almost on a laugh.

House looked at Thirteen intensely as if his own eyes were a lie detector. House noticed that she looked calm. She didn't look nervous as if she were just caught in a lie. She was telling the truth. House mentally scratched Taub's name off of the possible father's list.

"What was he doing at your apartment then?"

Thirteen was momentarily stunned that House would know that, but the shock wore off, because watching her apartment was something that she knew her boss would do. "When I ordered a book on new surgical procedures, he asked if I could order him a copy too. I told him he could just use my spare key since I wasn't going to be able to bring the book to him. Happy now?"

"Fine." House turned towards the door to leave.

"House," Thirteen said causing him to stop. "Can I have my keys back?"

House dug inside of his coat pocket and found her keys, but he didn't take them out just yet. Before he had to hand them back to her, he had a revelation. _Why couldn't Thirteen bring Taub the book?_

"What are you doing tonight?" House asked.

"Are you asking me out?" Thirteen was taken back by the question. This certainly wasn't normal behavior for his boss.

"Lets just say that I am. Pick you up at 8:00?" House continued as Thirteen tried to figure out what he was doing asking her out on a date.

Thirteen paused in disbelief, but finally her words came back to her. "I can't. I have other plans."

"Ah shoot," House said with false sincerity. "What kind of plans?" He asked as he waited to see if she'd spill her well protected secrets.

"Just visiting another colleague." Thirteen said as her closed the chart she had been writing in. She slowly walked towards House. She noticed him noticing her blue blouse again. She stopped when she was close enough for him to feel her breath.

"It's nothing to be jealous of really." She practically purred as her hands reached towards House's chest. She felt him inhale quickly as her hands began to leisurely slide down his chest, while her hands took notice to the unfamiliar terrain on the planes of his body. She mentally contrasted the solidness of his body compared to the softness of her own. She felt her own face flush because she knew she was enjoying the differences.

House's eyes burned a bright blue. At first they were startled by the sudden caress, then Thirteen's own smoldering blue eyes melted his sapphire irises until there was nothing left but desire and delight.

As her hands neared the top of his jeans, she left her right hand to continue its delicate slide downwards, while her left hand meandered towards his coat pocket. When her hands found what they were looking for, she pulled back instantly.

She grinned at House as she dangled her retrieved keys from his coat pocket in his face. "Thank you very much."

She finally saw her boss exhale. She mused over what she thought was disappointment lingering in his eyes, but brushed the thought away as she pushed past him to exit the exam room.

She hadn't noticed how warm her hands were until she focused on how cold the newly found keys were. Her hands were warmed from traveling the planes of her boss' chest. She could see the want in his eyes, and she felt empowered at the reaction she caused, but what she also felt was perhaps her own desire. The thought alarmed her but she brushed it away as simply a man and a woman reacting to one another's touch, or at least she hoped that was all it was.

House stood bemused in the empty exam room that Thirteen had left him in. _What had just happened? _He asked himself, but his thoughts held no definitive answers. He left the room with his thoughts clouded with Thirteen's actions. It was as if the real world faded, and only his reasoning and explanations existed. But he crashed right into the real world as he ran into the back of a unsuspecting Cuddy, while his thoughts had his attention disabled.

"Watch it House! Didn't you see me standing here?" The annoyed Cuddy frowned at House as she noticed he was still ignoring her. "House!"

"Oh didn't see you there with that unrevealing blouse on. Normally I can see those puppies from miles away." He pointed to Cuddy's breast as if she didn't know what he was talking about.

"What has you so distracted?" Cuddy asked as House turned to look in each direction as if he were looking for someone. "Lost someone perhaps?"

House's eyes held Cuddy's for the first time since he ran into her. "Did you see where Thirteen went?"

"She left with Kutner. Why? What are you up to?" Cuddy said on a disapproving scowl.

"Nothing at all." House said as he walked away from Cuddy to find his car in a hurry. If he was lucky, Thirteen hadn't left yet, and he could follow her. House was all too fixated with the mystery that Thirteen was turning out to be.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: I apologize for not updating sooner, but the semester just started and life is hectic again, and school sucks as always. Anyway here is ch 5, tell me what you think, and for a disclaimer, I clearly do not own House.**

**A Different Kind of Mystery **

**Chapter Five**

* * *

House limped his way through the parking lot, and as he neared his own car, he noticed Kutner and Thirteen in the corner talking to one another. House was almost surprised to see that they were actually still in the parking lot. It had felt like hours had pasted since he and Thirteen had been in the exam room where she had traced the lines of his chest to find her own hidden keys.

House walked towards his car in silence while keeping an eye on the chatting couple. They ignored the sounds of his shuffling footsteps as House neared his car. House stood behind his car watching the two with an odd curiosity that even he couldn't explain.

Thirteen smiled brightly at Kutner as he spoke. It was sincere. She laughed a few times to what House figured was just another of Kutner's poorly constructed jokes. She caressed his arm with a gentle touch as the two stood close together in conversation. Everything about the moment was unforced. Every smile and every touch was natural. But it didn't make sense to House.

House rarely saw Thirteen smile, let alone with the sincerity he saw as her blue eyes met Kutner's. He saw her disassociate emotionally from patients with an ease that most professionals lacked. Watching her laugh, he saw a different side of Thirteen. He saw the side that was Remy Hadley.

As House stared at them, he felt an emotion that he didn't care to classify. _Maybe it was just a thought, it's nothing more than that_, he told himself as he tried to dismiss what he was thinking. As House entered his car, because he didn't want to watch to the two any more, he tried to deny his feelings of jealousy. And what unnerved him the most was whether his jealousy stemmed from his feelings for Thirteen or from a more vengeful side that resented the happiness she was finding, when he had none. He willed the thought away as he popped a Vicodin, and drove off.

Thirteen still stood beside Kutner listening to a story he was telling about an obstinate clinic patient he had today. She smiled as she looked at the man who still held a childish innocence despite his age, a certain innocence and naivety she admired. _The world must seem like a playground to him_, Thirteen thought to herself. For that, Thirteen was jealous of him. Her world was shortening by the day thanks to her Huntington's disease. Her world wasn't a playground, but a clock ticking away as the days went by. Though as she stood beside the still speaking Kutner, she couldn't help but feel that his happiness was contagious.

After Kutner finished his story, Thirteen smiled at him. "I'm really tired tonight. I think I'm just going to go home."

"Oh okay. I'll see you later then." Kutner said in disappointment that he couldn't hide from Thirteen.

He leaned in for a hug. He opened his arms wide, and for a moment, Thirteen paused in hesitation. She hoped that he hadn't noticed, but she finally leaned into his embrace. The moment his arms closed around her, she couldn't remember why she hesitated. His body was so warm, and more so, inviting. He held her tightly, but the closeness didn't bother her like she thought it would. Just for a moment, she felt safe. She felt like the world wasn't falling around her. She felt secure, like his arms would protect her.

The feeling was nothing like what she had just felt with House in the exam room. House left her on edge. She had to question his every movement. Every touch meant something different, but she told herself that it was only a touch. It wasn't a real feeling.

As her mind raged on, she felt Kutner pull away instead of herself. Without his arms around her, the real world rushed back in a crushing wave that left Thirteen missing the security his body provided. Thirteen looked into his brown eyes, and she could she every emotion that he was trying to hide.

Kutner leaned down towards Thirteen. She felt herself squirm in uncertainty below him, and she hoped he hadn't noticed. But he turned and gently placed a kiss on her cheek. "Good night, Dr. Hadley," he said as he turned toward his car and walked away.

Thirteen stood for a moment and watched him walked away. She couldn't fight the grin that was growing on her face. She knew what she was feeling was different than what House had left her with. She felt in control with House. She felt like she could ignite a fire within him with just a single touch. She was a woman and he was a man, and the feelings were almost primitive. She liked having that control to light his eyes as her hand grazed his chest.

But Kutner was different. There wasn't a power play between the two of them. Nothing felt calculated. None of his words held a double meaning. Everything was sincere. And then there was the way he looked at her. It was different than the way most men looked at her. It was unfamiliar, like he could see her thoughts, but more so, that he cared about her thoughts. Confusion reigned over her, but she knew she wasn't going to be able to figure out her feelings tonight.

As Thirteen stood in the now empty parking lot, she glanced down at her stomach and smiled to herself. "Yeah, things are going to be okay," she said to no one in particular, but only to reassure herself, because what was about to come would leave her changed forever, and Remy Hadley didn't know if she was ready for that.


End file.
